A report by the Department of Agriculture shows farm access to the internet is increasing. The 2017 USDA Farm Computer Usage and Ownership report show that nationally, 73 percent of farms have computer access. Of those farmers having computer access, 72 percent, up one percent from 2015, own or lease a computer. To connect to the internet, eight percent of farmers indicated they use fiber-optic connections, while 17 percent indicated they used mobile internet service for cell phones. However, DSL connection continues to be the most common method of accessing the Internet, with 29 percent of the farms in the United States using it, down from 30 percent in 2015. A satellite connection, at 21 percent, remained steady from 2015. Computer usage for farm business at 47 percent nationally, is up four percentage points from 2015. However, the report does show that bigger farms are more likely to have internet access than smaller farms.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.
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